


Blood on the scales

by Nathamuel



Series: Drakecest Mermaid AU [2]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Nudity, Pain, Sibling Incest, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 08:45:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7501725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nathamuel/pseuds/Nathamuel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam was already on his way down to the ocean, free falling, when he realized that that might not have been a good idea for a clothed merman in his human form who hadn't shifted in 15 years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blood on the scales

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic for the theme month I'm taking part in. Prompt was "Merpeople AU". I fucking love merpeople as well. Just... I should have probably written something with merpeople AND werewolves. It would have been perfect. ಠ╭╮ಠ

It was while Sam was falling, that it occurred to him that maybe this had been a rather stupid plan. Of course, it was pretty obvious as they were both being shot at. Although that was not the reason _why_ this had been a really bad plan. Not that they had planned the whole shooting thing and having to take the shortcut over the cliffs to fall into the ocean below where Sully was waiting with his plane.

Fuck.

Nathan hit the water first and started swimming towards Sully’s plane. The regular way. In a different time, they could have just dived as deep as they could and wait out the storm. Scales in the dark. When they had been kids, back when their mother had still been alive, they used to visit the ocean and even in the orphanage Sam had always managed to visit the ocean with his little brother at least every other month. Not that they had stayed with the nuns for very long.

Now it had been fifteen years since he had last taken a swim in salty waters. Even when he had been with Rafe he had somehow… forgotten. Thirteen years and he had ignored and forgotten his heritage. Or maybe not forgotten as such. The call of the ocean had become such a steady feeling it eventually had turned into static that Sam had learned to ignore, not pay attention to.  
It was making itself quite clear now, submerged in the ocean. He struggled towards the surface, suddenly unable to breath the way he had breathed the last decade and a half and towards Sully’s plane where Nathan was calling him. Sam forced himself to move, even while his legs and chest _hurt_. The fabric of the pants prevented his legs from fusing and making his tail. On his chest his gills tried to open. They hadn’t been open for over a decade. _It hurt!_

By the time he reached the plane he was panting, both because of the pain and the steady lack of oxygen. Nathan pulled him into the plane, called to Sully to take off. Sam could only try to pull in air while both of his respiratory systems fought for the upper hand. His normal lungs pointing out that he was breathing normal air while his gills insisted that he was still wet and the ocean was _right there_. The valve in his throat opened and closed, fluttering against the mixed signals it was getting. Sam’s field of vision narrowed, the edges turning darker and he pushed his hands down over his gills, trying to force them closed.

“Sam? Sam!” Nathan knelt down beside him. A look down showed Sam’s chest to be covered in blood. It was not a particularly pleasant sight, not that Sam had the time to take it in. Nathan looked more than worried.

Sam tried to give him a smile. “It’s- fine. I- just- can’t- breathe,” he struggled to get the words past his lips and Nathan’s expression slipped from worried to horrified. 

“How long weren’t you in the ocean? How long haven’t you shifted?” Nathan demanded. His hands joined Sam’s over his gills and together they got them closed. Sam could breath a little easier, but his body was still _forcing_ the shift. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Sully called. The plane was already taking off, taking them away from the bullets. Sam caught his alarmed gaze before Sully concentrated back on getting them out of there and to safety.

“15- years-” Sam managed to pant out. His hands felt slick while he continued to _keep his gills closed_. As if it hadn’t been enough to run into Nadine and have the place collapse around them.

Nathan turned his attention away, but his hands stayed a steady weight on Sam’s chest while he talked to Sully. “Sully, I told you about my condition, right? Sam’s the same,” he explained and Sam could hear Sully curse.

“You’re both mermen? Still have a hard time believing it.” Sully grumbled. He didn’t look back at them again. Instead he heaved out a sight. “Where to? Sam doesn’t look so good.”

“Don’t feel so good either.” Sam said faintly, but he wasn’t sure they had heard him.

“Yeah, our mother was a mermaid. She passed her heritage on to us.” Nathan explained, by the look on his face not for the first time. “Get us out of here and then we have to land. He needs to get into water.”

“No, we— have t-to- continue.” Sam panted out. Even though he knew it was bullshit. He was suffocating right now. There was no way he wouldn’t do a full shift. His body was demanding it after so many years. 

The look Nathan send him was less than amused and Sam found just enough strength to shrug his shoulders before Nathan’s hands went for Sam’s pants and peeled them off. After only a moment’s hesitation Nathan tugged at Sam’s shirt and stripped that off as well. Blood was running down Sam’s chest from his gills, which looked red and inflamed, like gashes in his skin. He put his hands over them, partially to block out the sight and to continuing to put pressure on them so the valve in his throat stayed open a little longer, just until he was in the water.

The skin of his legs was changing, with the pants now out of the way, fusing together with green scales creeping over them. A horrible itching sensation accompanied the feeling of pain of having his anatomy change shape. Back in his youth it never had hurt like this.

Sully’s voice broke him out of his hazy musings. In front of him, Nathan was stripping out his own clothes, which at any other time would have been a pleasant sight. “Alright. I can see a small island. I’ll get us down there,” Sully called out.

The island turned out to be little more than a big rock in the water, but the surrounding waters were calm enough for Sully to land.

“You need my help?” he turned towards them with a worried expression on his face. Nathan was crouching naked beside his brother and shook his head.

“No, just wait here, Sully.” Nathan answered and opened the door. Then he turned back to Sam, who’s legs had already changed into a tail curling against the floor. 

Sam had a feeling that his _face_ was turning blue. His vision was graying. It felt as if he was hyperventilating only there was no air being sucked into his lungs. Nathan pushed and shoved at him until he crawled to the open door, aided by his brother and then he was falling with Nathan close behind him.

The water closing over his head felt like a shock. There was a stabbing sensation in his chest when his gills finally opened and he sucked ocean water through them, catching his breath, so to speak. Sam sunk a little towards the bottom of the ocean, invisible so close to the surface. Beside him, Nathan shifted and then his arms wrapped around Sam’s waist, tail moving to keep them where they were. The sharp pain dulled after a while. Nathan’s hands stroked over his back, fingering the scars there for a moment with a frown on his face.

Sam let the water soothe him. It felt like bliss after the pain faded. The current played with his hair and Sam listened to the sounds of the ocean. 

There was no way to really speak under water. Their mother hadn’t taught them everything, so Nathan nuzzled his cheek in a silent question, asking if he was alright.

Sam moved his own tail against Nathan’s, feeling their scales slide against his each other before he laid his palms on Nathan’s shoulders and nodded. After a moment’s hesitation he caught Nathan’s lips in a kiss. 

The water felt good. Sam hadn’t realized how much he had missed it. The first couple of years it had been obvious, a sharp pain behind his breast and then… he had gotten used to it he supposed, to not feel the shift or the pull of it. Gently, he disengaged from Nathan and flipped his fin, enjoying the feeling of the ocean surrounding him as he glided a single round around Nathan, tickling his waist and darting away when Nathan made to grab for him.

The smile looked good on Nathan’s face and when Sam darted in again it was Nathan’s turn to dart away. A game of tag they hadn’t played since their youth. Sam grinned. His chest still hurt, as did his tail. A dull aching sensation that would probably stay with him for a while longer. Right now it didn’t matter as he chased Nathan through the water. He had felt free after he had walked out of the prison. This was a different kind of freedom, to feel the muscles of his tail work after so many years, feel the water being sucked through his gills and have his brother by his side. More or less. Sam made a grab for him. Nathan must have had plenty of opportunities to swim in the ocean as he swam circles around Sam who felt slow and awkward in comparison. 

Someday they just had to look for Atlantis. If it really was sunk in some ocean they had the chance of exploring it in this shape. Maybe when they had found Avery’s treasure that could be their next adventure. 

Nathan slowed down and Sam wrapped his arms around his middle, planting an enthusiastic kiss on his lips that made Nathan give him a confused but happy smile.

Sam wasn’t sure how long they stayed in the water, swimming this way and that and staying tangled around each other in turn, before they returned to Sully’s plane. Sully was waiting for them at the open door, smoking one of his cigars. He eyed their tails when they moved closer. There was wonder in his eyes. Sam didn’t fault him. Had he been less out of practice he might have flipped water on him with his tail.

“You feeling better, Sam?” Sully asked and Sam nodded.

“Yeah. Right as rain again,” he smiled at him. Sully nodded in acknowledgment before returning to his seat to give them a little privacy. 

Nathan was the first to turn. Sam watched the change, the way his tail separated into two legs again, scales melting away into skin. It didn’t look particularly pretty, but he liked the glimpse of Nathan’s cock and ass before he pulled himself up into the inside of the plane. Sam had a little more difficulty to get his body to do what he told it. Instincts warred before he managed to make the shift happen. It hurt, but less sharply than before.

Nathan helped him up into the plane, already dressed into a loose-fitting pair of pants. For a moment Sam leaned against him. His legs felt weak. 

“Are you alright?” Nathan asked him, lips brushing against his cheek momentarily as he pulled away. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine.” Sam said and when he was sure he wouldn’t find himself on the floor he loosened the grip he had on Nathan and took the pants from his hands. Under Nathan’s watchful gaze he pulled them on and then let himself fall back into the seat beside the pilot’s cabin. 

“Next stop Madagascar?” he asked his companions. Sully snorted and Nathan gave a little smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Please consider leaving a kudos if you enjoyed :)


End file.
